The Car Exam News #9: More Chevy Cruze News, Chevy shows the new Aveo and 2011 Honda Odyssey news

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The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze: The Lordstown Debut

There is more news about the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze this week: Automotive News reports that General Motors launched the Cruze at its Lordstown, Ohio plant. The Cruze is already the best-selling Chevrolet model globally this year—and it hasn’t even gone on sale here in the United States yet—which is very impressive. New television ads for the Cruze also debuted recently.



GM has high hopes for the Cruze, and Chevrolet needs it to deliver the goods here in the U.S. Why? Ford has an all-new Focus coming soon, Hyundai has an impressive-looking Elantra coming as well and Honda is readying a new Civic for 2012. In fact, Chevrolet wants dealers to have Honda Civics and Toyota Corollas on hand at dealerships so consumers can compare the three cars together—quite a confident move by GM. The Cruze needs to be more than just competitive, though, if GM is to become a strong company again.

Source: Automotive News (http://www.autonews.com) 9/8/10


The New Chevy Aveo in Paris

In more Chevrolet news, according to USA Today (usatoday.com), the new Chevrolet Aveo (which should go sale next year here in the U.S. as a 2012 model) will make its debut at the Paris Auto Show later this month. It will be longer and wider than the current car (and hopefully roomier, too: the current Aveo seems a bit too small, especially in the rear seat area). The Aveo is also expected to have a six-speed automatic transmission, as well.

Source: USA Today (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/index) 9-9-10


The 2011 Honda Odyssey

The 2011 Honda Odyssey will be going on sale soon, and Honda recently showed off the redesigned Odyssey to journalists in San Diego, CA. There are not very many minivans left on the market these days (Honda, Toyota and Chrysler are the main players now--the Kia Sedona is also still around, and Nissan has an all-new Quest coming soon), but Honda still needs to make the new Odyssey a success if it wants to stay in the minivan game.

The exterior styling is polarizing, to say the least, but the Odyssey may have enough weapons to fight the current minivan battle with Chrysler, Toyota and Kia (and Nissan soon): an upgraded, 3.5 liter, 248 hp V6 engine with better fuel economy than the 2010 Odyssey, an independent rear suspension, a 16-inch hi-definition monitor with split-screen for the second row seats, and much more.

Source: Automotive News (http://www.autonews.com) 9/9/10


P. Scott

The Car Exam Examines Electric Cars, Part 2: The 2011 Nissan Leaf

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The Nissan Leaf

Nissan has pushed a full commitment into the electric car foray with its 2011 Leaf. Nissan truly thinks there is a market for an all-electric car in the U.S. auto market, and it’s betting on the Leaf to help prove its point. What does the Leaf have to offer consumers?

Mechanically speaking, the Nissan Leaf offers a 80 kW AC synchronous electric motor (which equals about 107.28 horsepower), a regenerative, 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with Electronic Brake force Distribution and Brake Assist, traction control, and a 24 kWh lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery with an 3.3 kW on-board charger and a Palm-shift drive selector for the transmission.

The Leaf should have a travel range of about 100 miles on a full charge, but that can be seriously limited by driving conditions, the use of accessories (a/c, stereo, etc.) which may discharge the batteries much faster. Fully charging the Nissan Leaf on a 220/240 volt home charging station will take about 8 hours. Nissan rates the Leaf’s top speed at about 90 mph. The leaf also qualifies as a Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV).



The five-passenger Leaf is a four-door hatchback, and it has the versatility of 60/40–split fold-down rear seat backs to help increase cargo space (exact capacity numbers are not available yet). The Leaf also has modern niceties like a navigation system, an XM Satellite Radio, an auxiliary audio input jack (for ipods or mp3 players), cruise control, a push button ignition, power door locks, a full array of airbags for safety, and much more. Exterior styling is decent overall; not especially flashy, but not terribly dull either.

How much will the 2011 Nissan Leaf cost consumers? The base price is $32,780--but the federal government tax savings credit can bring the price down to about $25, 280, depending upon the model. Will the public embrace the Nissan Leaf? Will Nissan’s gamble pay off? The Leaf will definitely face an uphill battle on several fronts, which will be discussed in part 4 of The Car Exam’s series on electric cars.

What’s next in the series? The plug-in electric car that has a technical element the Tesla Roadster and the Nissan Leaf both lack—-an element that may give it a distinct advantage over the Tesla and the Nissan. What car is it? The 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

Source: Nissan U.S.A. (http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/index#/leaf-electric-car/index) 9-5-10

P. Scott

The Car Exam News #8 - Chevy Cruze Hatchback in Europe, Kia Soul & Sorento recalled, and the 2011 Dodge Durango unveiled

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Chevrolet to sell a hatchback Cruze in Europe
The Automotive News reports that General Motors will unveil a hatchback version of the Chevrolet Cruze at the Paris Auto show on September 30. Sixty-five percent of all compact cars sold in Europe are hatchbacks, which makes the sale of the model essential for Chevrolet in that market. Will we get the hatchback Cruze here in the United States? Probably not, but if GM sees a market for it here (hatchbacks don’t tend to sell well—which is too bad, because they are more versatile and user friendly in terms of space utilization) then GM may change its plans.

Source: Automotive News (http://www.autonews.com) 9/3/10




Kia Recalls the Soul and Sorento over potential fire risk

The New York Times reported last week that Kia recalled about 35,000 2010 Kia Soul models (with the Advanced Lighting Speakers) and 2011 Kia Sorento models (with the Interior Accent Illumination) due to a potential fire risk.




They reportedly have a defective wiring harness that could potentially cause an electrical short and start a fire. The vehicles affected by the recall: Souls built between 9/7/2009 and 6/8/2010, and Sorentos built between 10/23/09 and 7/30/10.

Source: New York Times (http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com) 9/2/10


The 2011 Dodge Durango debuts

Chrysler desperately needs some new products to get customers in its showrooms, and it’s about to add another one soon. Chrysler unveiled the new Durango last week. It's built with unibody construction, instead of the old truck-based body-on-frame construction the previous models were built upon. Crossover utility vehicles are unibody constructed—which makes the new Durango—and even the brand new 2011 Ford Explorer—essentially CUV’s now.

The Dodge Durango is all-new and shares a platform with the new Jeep Grand Cherokee, which made its debut several months ago. The Durango also gets two new engine choices: the new a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine or an optional 5.7-liter Hemi V8 (no detailed technical specs are available yet).


Sources: U.S.A. Today (www.usatoday.com) 9/2/10 and Edmunds Inside Line (http://www.insideline.com/dodge/durango/2011/2011-dodge-durango-images-released-non-traditional-rollout-in-works.html) 9/2/10


P. Scott

The Car Exam News #7A: The EPA grading debate on video

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Some people like the idea of the EPA issuing letter "grades" for new cars based upon their fuel efficiency, while others just think it's bad idea. Newsy.com has a video that briefly explores the opposing views of people on both sides of the debate. Here is the Newsy web address for the video:

http://www.newsy.com/videos/epa-to-grade-cars-on-fuel-efficiency

You may find the arguments quite interesting. Check out the video, and let The Car Exam know what you think!

Thank you to Rosa at newsy.com for providing the information about the link!

P. Scott

The Car Exam News #7: The EPA wants to “grade” for MPG, Kia’s Georgia plant to build the Hyundai Santa Fe, & the 2011 Buick Regal a Top Safety Pick

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The EPA wants to grade new vehicles for MPG

Automakers are already being forced to adjust to stricter fuel economy standards coming soon, and now they may have another thing to worry about—their vehicles earning letter grades from the government. The Detroit News reports that Environmental Protection Agency wants to add letter grades (“A+” through “D”) to new vehicles in an attempt to sway potential buyers from purchasing “gas guzzlers” and move them to possibly buy more efficient vehicles—and also save some money in the process.

Vehicles with the best fuel economy would earn “A’s” and those with the worst would earn “D’s.” The grades would also compare fuel economy between gas-powered vehicles, hybrids, electric cars, etc. While the EPA feels that fuel economy grades will help new car and truck buyers make better-informed financial decisions and also buy more efficient cars, American and foreign automakers don’t like the proposal and see it as unfair. The idea may have some merit for consumers, but many consumers already know what they want and won’t be swayed to buy something different because the EPA gives their potential vehicle a “C” grade.

Source: The Detroit News (http://www.detnews.com) 8/31/10




Kia’s Georgia plant to build the Hyundai Santa Fe

Automotive News is reporting that Kia will add a second shift at its West Point, Georgia factory to now build the Hyundai Santa Fe. Due to strong customer demand for the hot-selling 2011 Hyundai Sonata, Hyundai-owned Kia will build the Santa Fe alongside the Kia Sorento (pictured here); both SUV’s share the same platform. This is being done in order to free up more capacity at Hyundai’s Alabama plant to build more Sonatas.

Source: Automotive News (http://www.autonews.com) 8/31/10


The IIHS adds the 2011 Buick Regal as another Top Safety Pick

Add another car to the list: the IIHS announced on Monday (8/30/10) that the 2011 Buick Regal earned its award as a “Top Safety Pick,” just as the 2011 Ford Fiesta did the week before. The 2011 Regal earned the award for achieving its “good” ratings for side, front, rollover, and rear impact protection. This must be good news for General Motors; any positive news it can get to help the Buick brand win buyers is a good thing, and it just may help bring more consumers into Buick showrooms across the U.S seeking a mid-sized car.

Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (www.iihs.org) 8/30/10

The Car Exam News #6A - The Ford Fiesta is a Top Safety Pick, the 2011 Toyota Highlander, Toyota recalls Corolla/Matrix & GM recalls the Pontiac Vibe

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The 2011 Ford Fiesta is an IIHS Top Safety Pick

The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) announced Wednesday that the 2011 Ford Fiesta sedan and hatchback earned its award for Top Safety Pick. The Fiesta is the first minicar to earn the Institute’s Top Safety Pick award since the Institute added a roof strength requirement for rollover protection, which is quite impressive.

However, it should be noted that the IIHS is only including Fiestas built after July 2010 because Ford made distinct design changes to increase the strength of the outside door handles in order to minimize the chance of doors opening in side impact crashes. If you are a consumer in the market for a Fiesta, you may wish to inspect the manufacturer’s tag on the car (probably somewhere on the door sill or opening on the driver’s side door) to find the manufacture date of the car—if having the enhanced Fiesta it of the utmost importance to you.

Source: IIHS.org (8/25/10)


Toyota debuts the 2011 Highlander at the Moscow Motor Show

Toyotainthenews.com is reporting that the 2011 Toyota Highlander made its debut at the Moscow Motor Show. Although it is not the U.S. version, it is closer to it and the U.S. model may get the same minor design changes: a new grille, headlights, hood and front facia (the 2010 U.S. model it pictured above). The 2011 Highlander should still have the same engine choices currently offered: a 187 hp, 2.7L four-cylinder engine, a 208 hp (156 kW) 3.3 liter Hybrid/V6 engine, and a 270 hp, 3.5-liter double overhead cam V6 engine. The 2011 Highlanders should go on sale soon.

Source: Toyotainthenews.com (8/26/10)





Toyota recalls the 2005-2008 Corolla and Matrix

The Christian Science Monitor is reporting that Toyota is recalling the 2005-2008 Corolla and Matrix due to engine stalling issues (improperly manufactured electronic control modules may engines to stall while the cars are moving). Apparently, Toyota has received about 1,000 complaints about the problem. Toyota should start contacting owners about a fix for the recalled cars by the middle of September.

Source: The Christian Science Monitor (8/26/10)




GM recalls the Pontiac Vibe, the mechanical twin of the Toyota Matrix for the same stalling issue

GM has to join the recall bandwagon with Toyota: AutoGuide.com is reporting that General Motors is recalling about 200,000 2005-2008 Pontiac Vibes for the same stalling issues that 1.1 million Toyota Corolla and Matrix models have been recalled for. Like Toyota, GM will notify Vibe owners in September when the Engine Control Modules (ECM) on their vehicles will be replaced. however, since Pontiac dealerships don't exist anymore, Vibe owners will be instructed to take their cars to other GM dealerships to be repaired.

Source: AutoGuide.com (8/27/10)

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The Car Exam Examines Electric Cars, Part 1: The Tesla Roadster

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The Tesla Roadster is an electric sports car Tesla hopes will bring electric cars into mainstream America. It is an attractively-styled two-seater powered by a 375 volt AC induction air-cooled electric motor with variable frequency drive. These are the performance numbers for the base model: 288 horsepower (215 kW) at 5,000-6,000 rpm, 273 lb-ft of torque at 0-5,400 rpm, and 0-60 miles-per-hour comes in at 3.9 seconds (the sport model adds 22 more lb-ft of torque at 0-5,100 rpm).

The Tesla Roadster’s battery is a lithium-ion battery with a whopping 6,831 individual cells. It has a range on a full charge of 245 miles, which should just be fine for around-town driving or a quick getaway to suburbs or destinations a bit further away. Charge time is 3.5 hours (an empty to fully-charged battery using the Tesla Home Connector--240 Volts and 70 Amps). Tesla states the battery should last for seven-years or 100,000 miles.

The price of admission to own Tesla Roadster is steep, however: the base model is $109,000 before the federal $7,500 tax credit; $101,000 after that. The Sport model bursts the piggy bank at $128,500 ($121,000 after the same tax credit).

The Tesla Roadster clearly isn’t meant to be an affordable sports car for Americans with moderate incomes. Tesla has a long road to climb. It will be building cars in the old NUMMI facility formerly jointly-owned by GM and Toyota. If Tesla can build and successfully sell enough cars (it also has a Sedan—the Model S—due to go on sale in 2012) and improve its battery technology, then it may find enough affluent buyers to make it a viable player in the U.S. auto market. Challenges remain, however and time will tell.

P. Scott

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The Car Exam Quick Quiz #10: The 2011 Kia Sorento EX

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Good Grades: Nice interior, comfortable seats, smooth power from the 3.5 liter, 276 horsepower V6, attractive exterior styling. This SUV is fully equipped and well appointed. In fact, it’s the most impressive Kia I’ve driven to date.

Bad Grades: Fuel economy could be better, it could be a bit lighter in weight, large blind spot because of the C-pillar.

Final Grade: Kia has come a long way in terms of styling, quality and reliability the last several years. Kia’s vehicle line is shaping up to be a good one—and let’s hope Kia keeps it up!

The Car Exam Grade: B+/A-

The Car Exam Quick Quiz #1: The 2009 Nissan Versa

The Car Exam Quick Quiz #1: The 2009 Nissan Versa

Good Grades: Comfy front seats, okay cornering ability, good ergonomics and placement of controls, great visibility for the most part, excellent rear foot room, good low end acceleration, acceptable hill-climbing ability, decent styling and braking (and fuel economy).

Bad Grades: CVT can hunt too much at times (affecting acceleration at important times), coarse-sounding, somewhat loud and unrefined engine, sitting in the back seats feels like sitting on a hard bench, thick rear seat backs lead to an annoyingly uneven rear load floor when the rear seat backs are folded, thick c-pillar leads to large rear blind spots.

The Final Grade: This car has some nice features and attributes, but its short-comings are far too glaring to ignore.

The Car Exam Grade: C-


P. Scott